The 5th Tourism Festival - Ninh Kieu Lantern Night will be organized from January 5th to 7th next year at Ninh Kieu park, Ninh Kieu pedestrian bridge, and Khai Luong canal (Hoa Su restaurant area). The opening ceremony will be televised live on Can Tho City Radio and Television Station at 19:00 on January 5th, 2023.

The festival has many interesting activities. The centerpiece of this will be a lantern competition on the Khai Luong Canal with up to 100 lanterns in various sizes.

In addition, the first-ever hot-air balloon festival in Can Tho City, located in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, will take place in January as part of the activities commemorating the city’s hosting of the Tourism Festival 2023. The hot air balloon festival will be implemented by City Trading - Service Co., Ltd. During the festival, two hot-air balloons with a capacity of 3-4 people/flight will fly into the sky in a 50-meter radius, offering visitors the chance to enjoy the city from above. A hot-air balloon ride worth 200,000 VND/person. Moreover, the organizers will also exhibit four colorful mini hot-air balloons for visitors to contemplate and take pictures.

Besides, there are also cultural, artistic, and sports activities to promote tourism such as releasing flower garlands and colored lanterns into Xang Thoi Lake at 18:30 on January 5th, 2023; traditional music performance on the evening of January 6th, 2023; street dance performance on the evening of January 7th, 2023; folk games and street music in the evenings. Other exciting activities take place throughout the festival such as the light installation art exhibition themed Tay Do Beauty; “New vitality Can Tho” Photo exhibition; tourism promotional booths; OCOP products booths; traditional food stalls, etc.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Vice chairman of the Ninh Kieu District People’s Committee in Can Tho City, said that the return of the 5th Tourism Festival - Ninh Kieu Lantern Night after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention from the media and tourists while giving a boost to local tourism. This year’s festival is bigger and more majestic than previous years’ events. The hospitality industry in the city is expected to welcome 98,000 visitors during next year's festival.